How can I make my (American style) pancakes light and spongy?
I will be participating at a charity event at the end of this month and I am still not sure about my recipe. I am using a mini pancake griddle to cook the pancakes. My pancakes are ok, but I think they can be better.
They weren't very soft--a bit chewy and maybe bread-like. I've had pancakes before that were light and really spongy and that's what I'd like to accomplish.
My current recipe
- 3 cups of flour
- 3 cups of milk
- 2 tb of oil
- 4 teaspoons of baking powder
- 3 cups of milk vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- a pinch of salt
- 2 table spoons of sugar
Process
I mixed all the wet ingredients together then I mixed the dry ingredients together. I added the wet to the dry and mixed them with an electric mixer for a short time so i don't overmix the batter.
Best Answer
I can't say for sure what is wrong, but here's a few possibilities:
- Your mix is too runny: if you have a batter that's too thin then it will spread out too far on the pan, if it's too thin you will get a rubbery pancake. It doesn't take much liquid to get too thin, a couple of tablespoons of milk make make the difference between just right and too thick. If you overrun you can always add just a bit of flour
- Your mix is too thick: if your batter is too thick then it will be to stodgy to rise well. You'll get a taller pancake but it won't open up
- Over-mixing: flour has protein in it called gluten, and developed gluten is what makes bread stretchy. Gluten is developed by working it in the presence of moisture, causing gluten strands to uncoil and interlock. Gluten development is good for bread but bad for pancakes risen by baking soda or powder. If you over-mix your pancake batter you will develop the gluten in it, so it's best to do it by hand for as short a time as possible. Don't worry about eliminating all lumps
- pan too hot: if you have the wrong pan temperature it's easy to overcook your pancakes. If it's too hot it will overcook the outside before the inside is done
- pan too cool: If it is too cool then you won't get as much lift, or you lose lift because the batter doesn't set quickly enough to hold in the air, and then you have a close texture. You will also need to cook it longer to get it done, getting a rubber mat instead of a light and fluffy pancake
- Not enough baking powder: Your recipe calls for 4 tsp of baking powder for 3 cups of flour. The non-buttermilk recipe I use would call for 5 tsp. Probably not enough to make the difference between rubbery and fluffy but you never know.
Like others in the comments I also recommend buttermilk for your pancakes as it gives better color, flavor and texture. You can make good pancakes without it for sure, but if I have it available I will always use it.
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How do you make pancakes light and fluffy?
SEPARATE AND BEAT EGG WHITES: A bit of work, but will make your pancakes fluffy & souffl\xe9-like! Add the egg yolks to the wet ingredients and once it's combined with the dry ingredients let it rest without the egg whites. Right before cooking, fold in the egg white peaks into the batter, it's like folding in clouds!What makes a pancake more fluffy?
Example: If a pancake recipe calls for 1 cup of milk, substituting 1/2 cup of plain yogurt for half the milk will produce a thicker batter and a fluffier pancake. The acidity of the yogurt will also boost the chemical reaction of the baking powder, producing still more fluffiness.Why are my pancakes not light and fluffy?
So what happens? The result of overworked batter is a stack of tough and chewy pancakes instead of the light and fluffy ones you were probably dreaming about. \u2192 Follow this tip: Mix the batter just until the wet and dry ingredients are combined, and there are no more visible wisps of flour.Why are my American pancakes not fluffy?
Stir your batter until the dry and wet ingredients are just incorporated. That means mixing until the flour streaks have disappeared, but leaving the pesky lumps. If you over-mix, the gluten will develop from the flour in your batter, making your pancakes chewy instead of fluffy.How to make Pancakes | Fluffy Pancake Recipe
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Answer 2
Theres too much baking powder! Use 1-2 tsp. The more you use, oddly, the less rise you get. Hope that helps!
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